Combined sash balance and weather strip



May 16, 1939. A. F. MANTZ COMBINED SASH BlfLANCFl AND WEATHER STRTP Filed Aug. 8, 1936 iffy.

Patented May 16, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Aloysius F. Mantz, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application August 8 1 Claim.

My invention relates to spring sash balances of the general type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,669,990 issued to me May 15, 1928, also Patent No. 1,898,584 issued to me February 21, 1933, and my co-pending application for Letters Patent on spring sash balance filed April 1, 1936, Serial No. 72,066.

The principal objects of my invention, are to generally improve upon and simplify the construction of the sash balances disclosed in my aforesaid patents and co-pending patent application, as well as other forms of similar spring sash balances. Further, to provide a relatively simple, practical and efiicient sash balance that is devoid of all metal tapes, chains, cords, counter-weights and the like, so as to reduce to a minimum the time, labor and consequent expense incident to the construction and installation of the sash balance.

A further object of my invention, is to combine with a tapeless sash balance, strips of resilient metal that are mounted on the upright side rails of the sash, and which metal strips are perforated to provide racks that are engaged by toothed wheels forming a part of the sash balance, and said resilient metal strips cooperating with the upright side rails of the sash in providing weather-tight joints between the sash and the jambs of the window frame; and at the same time said weather strip members functioning to render the sash rattle-proof.

A further object of my invention, is to provide a tapeless sash balance of the character referred to, having a duplex spring that is substantially S-shaped and having cooperating coiled portions that cooperate to counter-balance the weight of the window sash, and which spring is capable of being readily adjusted so as to vary the tension thereof corresponding to the weight of the window sash with which the balance is associated, and the ends of the spring being mounted on axles that carry the toothed wheels that engage the weather strip racks carried on the upright side members of the window sash.

With the foregoing and other objects in view my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangements of parts that will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational View of the tapeless sash balance, and showing the face plate thereof.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken approximately on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

, 1936, Serial No. 94,954

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the combined rack bar and weather strip.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an elevational view with parts in section, and showing the tapeless spring sash balance installed for use and showing parts of the window sash that are associated with said balance.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, Ill designates a face plate and suitably secured to the rear side thereof, is a housing ll. These parts are preferably formed of suitable sheet metal and when installed for use, the sash plate is secured in an upright position on the face of the jamb of the window frame,

with the housing ll projecting through an opening that is formed in said jamb.

Mounted for rotation within the upper and lower portions of the housing H, are identical tubular shafts l2, and the indentedcentral portion I3 of a toothed wheel I4 is positioned in and rigidly secured in any suitable manner to one end of each tubular shaft. One toothed wheel is positioned immediately adjacent one of the side walls of housing ll, while the other wheel I4 on the other shaft is positioned immediately adjacent the other side wall of the housing. Portions of the side walls of the housing are pressed inwardly so as to occupy the indented portions 13 of the toothed wheels, thereby providing bearings l5 for said toothed wheels and the corresponding ends of the shafts l2.

At the opposite end of each shaft, a portion of the corresponding side Wall of housing H is pressed inwardly as designated by I 6, so as to occupy the end of the adjacent shaft and provide a bearing therefor.

Formed in face plate ID are vertically dispose slots Illa for the accommodation of the toothed. peripheries of the wheels 14.

A one-piece spring that is substantially S- shaped and having spirally disposed portions I! is arranged within the housing, with its spiral portions disposed about the tubular shafts l3 and the ends of said spring being suitably connected to said tubular shafts, preferably by forming the ends into hooks that project through slots formed in the tubular shafts.

The spiral portions ll of the spring are wound in opposite directions so that when one shaft is rotated so as to wind up and tension the surrounding portion of the spring, the spiral portion surrounding the other shaft will be likewise tensioned.

Under normal conditions or when the window sashes are closed, the tension of the spiral portions I! of the spring are approximately, although not necessarily, equal.

Suitably secured to the outer face of the upright member at the side of each sash is a combined rack and weather strip that extends the entire length of the sash, and which strip is' preferably formed of resilient sheet metal. A longitudinally disposed portion l8 of this strip lies flat against the outer face of the upright side member of each sash, and said portion is secured to the sash preferably by means of nails or screws.

The remaining portion of each strip is formed into a longitudinally disposed member I9 that is substantially channel-shaped in cross-section, and which projects outwardly away from the face of the sash member to which the strip is secured, and the free edge of this portion [9 is 'spaced slightly apart from the face of the sash member, as illustrated in Fig. 4. This arrangement permits the portion l 9 of the resilient metal strip to flex inwardly toward the sash stile when the sashes are positioned in or removed from the "window frame.

cut and bent inwardly in spaced relation so as to provide a series of openings 20, the same being arranged in a row lengthwise of the strip member l9, thus providing a rack for the teeth of wheel M.

It will be understood that there is one of the combined racks and weather strips on each sash, and that the two racks and strips are engaged respectively by the teeth of the two wheels M, as the sashes are raised and lowered.

Inasmuch as the rack member is formed of resilient metal, it yieldingly engages the edge of the sash on the side adjacent the spring housing, thereby functioning as an effective weather strip and pressing the sash against the opposite jamb of the window frame, thus providing weathertight joints between both sides of the sash and the two jambs, and at the same time, providing an anti-rattler for the sash.

In the event that the spring balances are used on both sides of the window, the racks placed on both vertical edges of the sash provide effective weather strips.

Adjustment of the tension of the duplex coiled spring to lift the sash is attained by pressing the upper sash into the upper portion of the window frame and manipulating said sash until the teeth of the corresponding toothed wheel engage in the apertures 20 of the corresponding strip l8 carried by said sash. After the upper sash has been moved down, the toothed wheel engaged thereby is fixed against rotation; for instance by inserting a finish nail against the teeth of the toothed wheel, then the upper sash can be removed from the frame and again inserted in the raised position. After the nail blocking the wheel is removed, the sash can again be lowered to further tension the spring. These operations are repeated until the proper degree of tension is imparted to the spring to counterbalance the sash. After the upper sash has thus been placed in the frame, and the spring tensioned as just described, the said upper sash is moved to its upper limit of movement in the frame, and the lower sash is now inserted in the frame and manipulated until the apertures 29 in the strip !8 engage the teeth of the corresponding toothed wheels l4. As hereinbefore stated, when the sashes are inserted in, or removed from the window frame, the projecting teeth of the toothed wheel engage the inclined faces of the portions E9 of the resilient plate, and press the same toward the stiles of the sashes a sufiicient distance to enable the points of the teeth to ride over the portions !9 of the strips and to enter the apertures 29 therein.

In the smaller sizes of windows, the combined weather strip and rack may be eliminated, and the teeth of the toothed wheel will, as the sash is raised and lowered two or three times, form their own racks in the face of the stile by indenting the same.

Inasmuch as the spring used in my improved sash balance is constructed with two spiral portions, the ends of which are connected to small diameter axles, much more power or tension is provided than if a single coil spring were used.

When the lower sash is raised or the upper sash lowered, both spiral portions of the spring are in action and cooperate to produce the desired yielding resilient counterbalance for the sashes.

My improved sash balance requires no tapes, cords, chains, weights, pulleys and the like, requires only a minimum amount of time and labor in its installation and the balance functions for the individual sashes as well as counter-balancing one sash by the other.

It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved combined sash balance and weather strip may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

In a combined sash balance and weather strip, a housing, a pair of shafts mounted of independent rotation within said housing, toothed wheels mounted on opposite ends of the two shafts so that said wheels are spaced apart laterally of the housing, a one-piece S-shaped spring having its end portions spirally wound about said axles between said wheels, the ends of which springs are connected respectively to said axle'sso that when the coiled end portion of one spring is wound upon the axle, the other coiled end portion will be correspondingly wound upon its axle and there being openings formed in one of the walls of the housing for the accommodation of the toothed edges of said wheels.

ALOYSIUS F. MANTZ. 

